[octess]

HI all!
Anybody knows the difference between a CO2 and a nitrogen regulator? I actually realized that mine is a nitro one but I'm using it with CO2 gas. Could that explain a carbonation problem? (see post entitled "fizz problem")
Thanks!

[tschmidlin]

There should be no difference at all except for how it attaches to the bottle - if it goes on to a CO2 canister without an adapter then it should be a CO2 regulator.  Why do you think it is an N2 regulator?  It's the pressure on the keg that matters, the regulator reads the pressure independent of the type of gas . . .

[octess]

Hi again!
I just noticed that the regulator reads "nitrogen regulator" on it, posted by the manufacturer. I was just wondering if the thing is behaving differently compared to a CO2 one since I had a fizz problem one a few batches (remember? "fizz problem" topic?).

[tschmidlin]

hi

It should not be behaving any differently, all it is doing is determining the pressure in the keg.  Well, that assumes we're talking about the secondary regulator, but regardless, all the gauges do is measure pressure, irrespective of the gas flowing through them.  If there's a problem, maybe it's reading wrong because it's just wrong (as opposed to because it is a nitrogen regulator).

Not that it really matters, but where is it on the regulator, on the body or on one of the gauges?  Just curious.

[Tim McManus]

No, there is a difference between the regulators.  Technically, I'm not sure what it is, but nitrogen is dispensed as a gas while CO2 is dispensed as a liquid.  Since nitrogen is a gas, it needs a higher pressure regulator to dispense versus a CO2 regulator.  Also, I believe that the threading is different for both regulators, so you can't really connect a nitrogen regulator to a CO2 tank.

[tom]

Tom is right, the regulators are identical except for the way they connect to the tank. Look at the ends of the nitrogen and CO2 regulators on this page:  http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-cid-17.html
CO2 regulators control the gas pressure, but in the tank CO2 is partially a liquid and that's why you need to keep them upright.

And it shouldn't be responsible for fizzy beer unless the pressure was set too high or the beer wasn't done fermenting.
Brew on

[octess]

Not that it really matters, but where is it on the regulator, on the body or on one of the gauges?  Just curious.

Hi!
Is reads nitro from the main body of the regulator.

[octess]

Look at the ends of the nitrogen and CO2 regulators on this page:  http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-cid-17.html

Thanks for the link!
looks great! the fitting on mine is just like a regular CO2 fit, though it does read nitro from the main body of the reg.

[stlaleman]

No, there is a difference between the regulators.  Technically, I'm not sure what it is, but nitrogen is dispensed as a gas while CO2 is dispensed as a liquid.  Since nitrogen is a gas, it needs a higher pressure regulator to dispense versus a CO2 regulator.  Also, I believe that the threading is different for both regulators, so you can't really connect a nitrogen regulator to a CO2 tank.

Not quite right. The CO2 is stored as a liquid, but your regulator gets gas from the headspace. If you lay the tank on its side or upside down, the regulator will very quickly quit working, freeze up. The regulators are the same. Now if you had a flow meter on it, then the different gases would change things.....

[octess]

quite right!

[Tim McManus]

No, there is a difference between the regulators.  Technically, I'm not sure what it is, but nitrogen is dispensed as a gas while CO2 is dispensed as a liquid.  Since nitrogen is a gas, it needs a higher pressure regulator to dispense versus a CO2 regulator.  Also, I believe that the threading is different for both regulators, so you can't really connect a nitrogen regulator to a CO2 tank.

Not quite right. The CO2 is stored as a liquid, but your regulator gets gas from the headspace. If you lay the tank on its side or upside down, the regulator will very quickly quit working, freeze up. The regulators are the same. Now if you had a flow meter on it, then the different gases would change things.....

Right, I wasn't clear in stating that.

However, something to note is that the pressure relief valve for a nitrogen regulator can be rated higher than a CO2 regulator because of the additional pressure in the tank.  It's important to make sure that the relief valve is rated lower than the tank.